On October 14, 2015 at ITU Telecom World 2015 in Budapest, a plenary panel Reaching the last mile: innovative solutions to remaining connectivity issues examined the challenges of providing last – or first – mile connectivity in remote, rural or economically unviable areas, where geography, demography or market size render traditional access models unfeasible. Innovative technological solutions include the use of white spaces, balloons or drones, or grassroots initiatives such as assembling mesh Wifi networks or connecting groups of houses through local open source projects. What lessons can be learnt from successful innovators in last mile connectivity, and what are the latest trends, cross-sector partnerships, and new developments? What is the role of local entrepreneurs in building access from a central point in a village or rural community, in both developed and emerging markets? How can governments work to ensure access to local content and data to stimulate broadband demand? Do smart villages supporting local community needs provide an answer? Panelists: Ms Anat Bar-Gera, Chairperson, YooMee Africa AG, Switzerland; Mr Chakrya Moa, Chairman, Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia (TRC), Cambodia; Mr H Sama Nwana, Executive Director, Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA), United Kingdom; Mr Christian Olsson, Market Intelligence Officer, O3B networks, Netherlands; Mr Christopher Weasler, Director of Global Connectivity, Facebook, USA. Moderator: Alex Wong, Head of Global Challenge Partnerships, World Economic Forum. Video is below: